Romulus and Remus
by Sike
Summary: Gah! Even if no one cares about me, I shall continue this fic. Romulus Lupin has arrived at Hogwarts, Remus' twin brother. Chpt 7up
1. A New Teacher On Staff

Disclaimer: As I write this fic I weep  
These characters are not mine to keep  
If a claim to them I make  
My bank account the law will take.  
  
Introduction : A New Teacher On Staff  
  
A man in his late thirties, his hair a mix of silver, brown and blond, walked contentedly  
  
through the halls of Hogwarts. Reaching the Great Hall, he smiled with the memories that  
  
went alongside this beautiful school. It was so good to be back...  
  
Pushing through the doors, he found the hall nearly empty, as can be expected during the  
  
Winter break. The only professor at the staff table was Albus Dumbledore, the very man  
  
he wanted to see. Attracting the headmaster's attention as he approached, he smiled  
  
warmly. He placed his briefcase on the table before him and shook the man's hand.  
  
"Professor Lupin, glad you finally managed to come." Dumbledore nodded to the  
  
knew Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Lupin did not have a chance to respond  
  
how ever as there were numerous chairs scraping and three eager young students  
  
approached.  
  
"Professor Lupin! You're back at last! I never thought you would come back. I  
  
thought the whole werewolf thing meant you wouldn't return."  
  
Professor Romulus S. Lupin looked down at the three Gryffindor students with polite  
  
confusion.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I don't believe I've ever met you before."  
  
Hermione, Ron and Harry looked in disbelief at their teacher, who was acting confused  
  
and was pretending not to know his most prized students.  
  
What was Remus Lupin hiding they wondered?  
  
Suddenly seeing Harry's scar, Romulus nodded in understanding.  
  
"You're Harry Potter, pleased to meet you." He held out a hand to the boy who  
  
lived, who looked at him in utter confusion.  
  
"Don't you remember me?" Harry asked in shock, "or my friends?"  
  
"Yes, you taught us in our third year." Chipped in a girl with wavy brown hair  
  
who stood beside Harry.  
  
Romulus felt pity for these students, they seemed to have suffered some sort of horrible  
  
memory charm. They had confused him for someone else, whom they thought they knew.  
  
Wait... thought Romulus to himself, could it be? He turned over his shoulder to look at  
  
Dumbledore, who was straining to keep from openly laughing in amusement. Raising an  
  
eyebrow in the Headmaster's direction, Romulus shook his head. Of course Remus would  
  
fail to mention that he had taught here of all places.  
  
Not wanting the headache of explaining about his identical twin, Romulus picked up his  
  
briefcase.  
  
"I'll speak with you later headmaster." He said smoothly, he began to exit, but  
  
just before, he took Harry's hand in a friendly shake, making his scar suddenly burn  
  
fiercely.  
  
Heading back to their common room, Harry Ron and Hermione began a very anxious  
  
conversation.  
  
"What happened to Professor Lupin? Why doesn't he recognize us?" Ron voiced, feeling quite unsettled by the encounter with their old teacher.  
  
"He looks different too, doesn't he?" Said Hermione, thoughtfully. Harry caught  
  
the familiar reflective air to Hermione's voice immediately.  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked. They passed by the Fat Lady with an easily  
  
muttered password and settled themselves down in their favourite chairs by the fire.  
  
"Well..." said Hermione, "for one thing; he seems a lot more properly kept. His  
  
robes were new and spotless and he seemed awake and fresh. He was under a lot less  
  
stress than usual. For another; his gait is different, he walks less like himself and more  
  
like..."  
  
"Snape." Harry finished. He had seen it too. "But there's something else as well,  
  
when I shook Lupin's hand, my scar was practically on fire." Both Hermione and Ron  
  
grew much paler.  
  
"Could he be, a Death Eater?" Ron said nervously. Harry tensed at the very  
  
thought. Hermione however, merely shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"Or controlled by one someone who is." She said quietly. Ron's mouth fell open  
  
in horror, but Harry brushed the idea aside.  
  
"Come on Hermione, you're the smartest of us all, you know Snape is on our  
  
side." Hermione supplied Harry with a level gaze, suggesting she knew exactly what she  
  
was talking about.  
  
"How much do we really know about Snape exactly? How exactly can you  
  
explain Lupin's behavior otherwise?" Ron nodded in agreement with her statement.  
  
"How far would you trust Snape, Harry?" Harry knew the answer to that was : As  
  
far as I can throw him with a dislocated shoulder. But he didn't want to make a decision  
  
just yet. He had after all really looked up to Remus and new that both Remus and Snape  
  
were working against Voldemort. Supposedly.  
  
We'll just have to watch them carefully." Said Harry. The three nodded in  
  
agreement.  
  
Unloading his things in his new office, Romulus' sigh was less content and more  
  
troubled. If Remus taught here, why didn't he tell me? Romulus couldn't imagine why his  
  
brother would keep such secrets from him, but at least, Romulus thought, I'm closer to  
  
Dumbledore, and the workings against the Dark Lord. Suddenly feeling a wave of  
  
sickness wash over him, Romulus fell to his knees, drawing ragged, shallow breaths.  
  
Once he recovered, he brought more questions to his mind. Why had he been called of all  
  
people to teach here? The other Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher had resigned  
  
from his post after a "conflict with the staff". Who was causing these problems?  
  
Knowing that he would have to begin teaching the next day, Romulus decided to try and  
  
get some rest. As he felt another heap of nausea pass him by, he knew that he would need  
  
to find the potions teacher to keep him from looking like the dead the next day.  
  
Pacing the halls in the dead of night, a sole cloaked figure kept firm watch. Walking with  
  
a smooth speed and severity, the lone shadow tried to chase away his restlessness. The  
  
Dark Lord had said he had sent him help, by way of the new Professor. Severus Snape  
  
halted in his paces to let out a frustrated curse. How would he keep the truth from  
  
Dumbledore? A/N: I prithee, review! Good or bad it's all good! 


	2. Whose Side Are You On

Disclaimer: The itsby bitsy characters  
Are not mine I shout  
For I have a fear  
That J.K will knock me out  
  
There you know the truth now  
So ha, my job is done  
And with this itsy bitsy plotline  
I'll have a bit of fun  
  
Chapter 2: Whose side are you on?  
  
Rising from his bed early the next morning, Romulus groaned in agony. He felt as though  
  
the world was spinning around him. Trying grimly to focus, he made it out of his room  
  
only to be completely disoriented when he reached the stairs. He didn't have to teach till  
  
the afternoon, but it was a hollow comfort. He desperately needed to find the potions  
  
master before he collapsed for good. The Dark Lords price for proof of loyalty was a  
  
horrible potion that every Deatheater is forced to drink if they are acting as a double  
  
agent. Without the proper potion skills, it makes the drinker horribly sick until they return  
  
to Voldemort. Romulus had to find the man with the proper skills.  
  
If Remus saw you now, would your own brother even forgive you? Romulus winced at the  
  
bitter remarks of his conscience. He had not seen his twin for three years, since Peter  
  
Pettigrew had escaped between his fingers. They had agreed to part ways because  
  
Remus' friend Sirius Black had never liked Romulus, and he was not about to encourage  
  
Black to give himself and Remus away.  
  
Turning towards the stairs once again, Romulus saw Harry Potter and his friends.  
  
They still did not understand the truth, but at this point, Romulus had no voice to tell  
  
them with.  
  
Remus said they were smart, they'll figure it out. Romulus thought to himself as his  
  
vision went black. His last feeling before slipping away was falling forwards, the stairs  
  
rushing towards him.  
  
*  
  
Harry, Hermione and Ron were not usually roaming quite so early, but they were  
  
honestly quite afraid of being late for charms on the first day back. When Ron had  
  
discovered he'd left his bag in the library, it had been a mad rush back up the stairs.  
  
Until, that is, they ran into Professor Lupin. To the trio's eyes, he was transformed from  
  
when they had seen him the day before. He had horrible deep bags beneath his eyes and  
  
his face was tinged with green. A fevered sweet was showing on his forehead and he  
  
swayed as he stood on top of the stairs. The best teacher they had ever had barely even  
  
took them in, before passing out to tumble down the stairs, reaching the landing to lay an  
  
abandoned doll. Hermione had screamed in surprise as Professor Lupin fell, and now  
  
rushed towards him. She didn't care what he had said to them in the Great Hall the other  
  
day, he needed help.  
  
Harry came over to Lupin as his eyes opened slowly. The expression they held  
  
was muted by glazed delirium, Harry couldn't help but pity his old ally, no matter what  
  
was really going on.  
  
"Please..." Lupin's voice was a weak raspy in his throat. "Find... the potions  
  
master." His speech stopped there but his eyes did not close. Something was all but  
  
killing him.  
  
"Ron! You heard him! Go and get Snape, quick!" Harry was not about to let  
  
another of his father's friends die, it wasn't right. Ron however, hesitated.  
  
"I heard him say he doesn't know who we are! That's what I heard!" Harry  
  
could've rung his friend's neck in sheer frustration.  
  
"Obviously, something is wrong with him, that's why he said those things! If you  
  
don't go and find Snape right now, you're letting him die!" Ron had turned on his heel at  
  
his friend's panicked words, but had barely gone two steps when a low, unpleasant voice  
  
spoke.  
  
"Really Potter, what could be so bad that you would send for me?" Snape asked  
  
with no show of true concern. He stood above the scene only for a moment, preparing his  
  
cruelty and venom. When he saw who lay on the floor, his face contorted with contempt.  
  
"Remus." Snape spat with distaste. "What is he doing here?" The question went  
  
unanswered however as Lupin cried out in his fevered state.  
  
"We were three and then were two, but I was half and so were you." Snape's  
  
mouth fell open. Harry blinked. He had never seen Snape in such a state of shock before.  
  
Immediately Snape came down the steps to crouch beside Lupin. He brought out his  
  
wand and conjured up a stretcher for the delirious man.  
  
"Is this connected to being a werewolf, professor?" Hermione asked. The three  
  
Gryffindors felt compelled to follow the unconscious Lupin as Snape brought him to his  
  
office. Snape turned around distractedly; he seemed very much in a hurry to save one of  
  
his most hated enemies.  
  
"Don't be foolish Granger, he's not a werewolf." Snape didn't even allow time for Hermione to comment. Reaching his office, Snape rolled the sleeves of his robes up  
  
and left Harry staring as he put together a potion with more speed than he would have  
  
thought possible. Seeing Snape's dark mark flash by as he worked, Harry recalled the  
  
handshake that had burned his scar, but he couldn't help but be more keen to the present  
  
as Snape completed the potion and allowed some to slip down Lupin's throat.  
  
*  
  
As Severus tilted the potion into Lupin's mouth, he prayed it would do its job. Finally,  
  
Severus found himself breathing a sigh of relief. Lupin's eyes cleared and focused. He sat  
  
up in is magicked stretcher and shook himself forcefully. Severus thanked each in every  
  
star personally. The Dark Lord would've killed him if he found his newest sentry at  
  
Hogwarts had died.  
  
As Romulus took in the scenery around him, he met Severus' cruel calculating face. I  
  
can't believe he's betrayed me. Snape thought as he stood back stiffly to allow Romulus  
  
to stand. Getting rid of the stretcher, he watched Romulus with almost as much loathing  
  
as he would Remus, or one of the Potters.  
  
"Thank you, for yet another timely appearance, Severus." Said Romulus. "You  
  
could say I owe you my life." Snape flinched visibly; his memory recalling a chain  
  
covered chair and a cruel, rattling breath.  
  
"I would say we're even, wouldn't you, Romulus?" Snape traced his pale fingers  
  
around his face, drawing the appearance of a hood. Romulus suddenly nodded his head  
  
vigorously.  
  
*  
  
"Romulus, who's that?" Ron burst out. Harry and Hermione were both confused  
  
as well. Was this not their old professor? Romulus turned from Snape to look at Ron, his  
  
eyebrows raised.  
  
"Why, I'm Romulus, of course." He looked at their vacant expressions and  
  
nodded.  
  
"You must've known my twin, Remus?" The three fifth years felt their minds  
  
shooting in all directions. Remus had a twin! He was going to teach them. How much  
  
information had the brothers shared about Sirius, or Snape? Did Romulus and Severus  
  
know each other?  
  
Romulus' knewly freshened expression sagged as he saw the promise of far too many  
  
question bloom in the childrens' faces. How could he keep a low profile with all the  
  
students who knew about Remus?  
  
Fortunately for both Lupin and Snape, the first bell rang and the gaping students were  
  
forced to rush away to their first class. The two teachers stepped inside Snape's office.  
  
Think firmly that charms class would have to wait a few moments; Harry led Ron and a  
  
reluctant Hermione towards the trophy room. Ignoring their pestering questions he rushed  
  
into the room to the left of the trophy room. Stepping inside, the found themselves in a  
  
room whose walls were covered in pictures. They were the graduating classes of the last  
  
few decades.  
  
"What are we here for, Harry?" Ron asked, peering with interest at all the happily  
  
waving seventh years, each sitting in a section depending on their house.  
  
"Something feels off balance with this Romulus guy, I want to see if I can find  
  
him. Look for my father's year, Remus would be sitting with my father, and Romulus  
  
probably wouldn't be."  
  
No longer thinking of the detentions they would get for skipping Charms class, they  
  
began to scan the walls. It was Hermione who finally found the right year.  
  
"Over here you two, I found it!" She cried, waving them over energetically. Harry  
  
and Ron came to look over her shoulder at the picture she was looking at.  
  
"That must be Remus, sitting with James and Sirius and the other Gryffindors..."  
  
Harry bit his lip at the sight of his late godfather, but then found himself frowning.  
  
"Well, where is Romulus?" He asked, squinting at all the cheery, young faces.  
  
Ron suddenly grew very pale; he pointed a slightly shaking finger down at the picture.  
  
The youth he pointed to was surely Lupin's twin, though that was not what caused  
  
Harry's eyes to widen. Sitting among the Slytherins, Romulus was waving happily along  
  
with everyone else. Sitting on either side of him were none other than Lucius Malfoy and  
  
Severus Snape. This, in and of itself was shocking enough, but what Harry saw next  
  
made him unable to breathe. As Romulus waved, his hand knocked accidentally against  
  
Malfoy's. His sleeve slid down, revealing a tattoo on Romulus' left forearm, a tattoo of a  
  
skull, a snake slithering from its mouth.  
  
*  
  
In Severus' office, the two Death Eaters watched each other warily. Severus' black eyes  
  
flashed demandingly in the direction of Romulus' own golden gaze.  
  
"Whose side are you on anyway?" Severus finally demanded, breaking the tense  
  
silence, though certainly not breaking the tension. Romulus narrowed his eyes. The two  
  
former Slytherins had no idea how much their actions mirrored each other.  
  
"Me?" Romulus demanded, "Whose side are you on?" Snape felt another thought besides  
  
the current conversation pull at the back of his head. In his sickened state, Romulus had  
  
accidentally blurted out the riddle that had started their alliance. (A/N: Ha, Riddle)  
  
Had Potter been paying attention to Romulus' words? Seeing Lupin's glaring with  
  
impatience, Snape thought; I'll deal with Potter later.  
  
Sighing, Snape answered the question that had originally been his.  
  
"I'm on the same side I was on in the beginning." Severus' couldn't help the  
  
bitterness in his voice as he thought of the "beginning". He extended his left hand and  
  
waited for Lupin's response. Romulus nodded in satisfaction. He brought out his left  
  
hand as well. The two Death Eaters clutched eachother's forearms in the usual greeting.  
  
"Same side for me aswell" Romulus confirmed.  
  
*  
  
Sitting in Professor Flitwick's class, a strange phrase flew into Hermione's mind. She  
  
knew it was important and she had to discover its meaning. Scribbling the phrase down  
  
on a small piece of parchment, she passed it to Harry and exchanged a meaningful look  
  
with him. They both knew they had to find the truth.  
  
Harry passed the parchment to Ron, who read it to himself in barely more than a whisper:  
  
"We were three and then were two, but I was half and so were you."  
  
Well, dats all she wrote. If anyone even likes this, I beg you for a review. I may be slower in updating because I'm going back to school on Monday but I would love some incentive to speed up a little. Dank, arigato, and merci beaucoup to anyone in advance. Next Chap: the beginning 


	3. The Beginning

Disclaimer: If I had a million dollars  
I'd buy the Harry Potter books  
I don't have a million dollars  
If I did it would be Canadian...  
So it wouldn't be worth much (damn economy)  
That's why I don't own the Harry Potter books  
Oh well... On with the fic!  
  
The Beginning  
  
Romulus sat at his desk before the head of the class, drumming his fingers  
  
absentmindedly upon the rich mahogany surface. It was nearly forty minutes before the  
  
end of lunch, at which time, Ravenclaw and Slytherin Sixth-years would enter to attend  
  
his first lesson. It was perhaps a good thing that Lupin had those forty minutes to himself,  
  
for he was currently dead to the world. His golden-hazel eyes were glazed in thought, and  
  
as one hand drummed away at the desk, the other rubbed at his slightly burning Dark  
  
Mark.  
  
It was a loosely known fact that the Lupin family has always had a disposition for  
  
being completely abnormal, and quite often dangerous. The twins were no exception.  
  
Remus of course being a werewolf, and as for Romulus, he had a gift for curses that very  
  
few people were aware of. (Romulus quite wanted to keep that, for the time being.)  
  
After his encounter with Severus, as well as someone who had been cursed by the  
  
Dark Lord unwillingly, Romulus couldn't help but let his thoughts tumble back to the  
  
time when he had made several agreements. (Certain agreements were those that he had  
  
not actually held.) Sitting alone in his classroom, he began recollect on that day of many  
  
agreements. It was the day that he and some close allies would always refer to as "the  
  
beginning".  
  
\*/  
  
Romulus sat back in his chair, and couldn't help but be cheerful. This was his  
  
second last day at Hogwarts. Tomorrow, they would take a graduate picture of all the  
  
Seventh-years and there would be huge celebration in the Slytherin common room. As  
  
dinner ended and all the students began filter out of the Great Hall. Romulus got up with  
  
Severus and Lucius, the three making their way to their dormitory, where they had some  
  
important things to discuss.  
  
As they mixed in with the crowd of students, Romulus heard a disdainful call  
  
directed towards his group of friends.  
  
"Oi! Snivelus! How are you, you greasy git?" Romulus turned in the direction of  
  
the shouts. Sirius Black, referred to by many Slytherins as "Potter's Muscle-head friend",  
  
was giving Severus a challenging stare. Romulus could see Potter standing next to him,  
  
as the crowd formed a clearing, watching eagerly for another famous row. The little  
  
lapdog, Pettigrew, was coiled behind his stronger friends, ready to laugh when it was  
  
required. Lastly, Romulus squeezed his fists tightly, his brother Remus stood a little bit  
  
away from Black, reading a book, trying to keep as out of it as he could while his face  
  
slowly got redder.  
  
"Did you hear me slime ball?" Black taunted, obviously begging for one last  
  
fight. Romulus knew that Severus was also frustrated; they had urgent matters to attend  
  
to. They were too young as joiners to keep anyone waiting too long... Severus stood  
  
straight.  
  
"Out of the way, Black, we haven't got time for this." Severus took a step towards  
  
the dungeon stairs, almost indicating that he would shove the Gryffindor out of his way if  
  
he had to. Black sniggered, causing Pettigrew to echo him. Romulus stared firmly at his  
  
twin's down-turned eyes, willing him to intervene. This is too good of a chance for us!  
  
Romulus nearly shouted the thought into Remus' head, but the werewolf remained silent.  
  
"Is that all you have to say, Slytherin scum?" Potter had finally taken some  
  
initiative as well, they were really looking for a fight. As Romulus heard Lucius let out a  
  
frustrated breath, he knew that his friend was fed up as well.  
  
"What he wants to say, but isn't, is that you shame your pureblood family and that  
  
if you were loyal at all, you and your clueless friends wouldn't be weak little Gryffindors,  
  
and you would know what awaits the future of the world." However cryptic the last part  
  
may have been, the first comments were enough to completely enflame Black. He hadn't  
  
been searching to hurt Lucius, but to curse all three of the Slytherins seemed a fair prize  
  
anyway.  
  
"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" (A/N: Yes I know...)  
  
The curse that Black shouted was one that Romulus knew himself. It would be very  
  
painful if it struck Severus or Lucius. It was a very harsh curse, and Romulus had always  
  
thought of it as bordering on unforgivable, if it were any stronger.  
  
Giving one last agitated glance in Remus' direction, Romulus, stepped forward,  
  
dead on into the on coming curse. The potent power of Black's curse swirled and fizzed  
  
around him. A small amount of dust obscured him from the crowd's eager eyes as he felt  
  
the curse settle in his skin, and then dissipate within him.  
  
To feign the appearance of being slightly rattled, Romulus managed to "stumble"  
  
to the floor. Not even Black seemed to notice that the curse had not obtained its intended  
  
results.  
  
"Thanks for all the help, brother." Romulus said dryly as his friends helped him to  
  
his feet. He dusted off his robes, and then squared his shoulders in the direction of Potter  
  
and Black. "Now I've had enough. If you don't step out of the way, I can assure you that  
  
you'll sorely regret it." The onlookers of the feud stepped away from Potter and his  
  
friends uncertainly. Even those who worshipped Potter were fearful of being caught on  
  
the end of a Slytherin's curse.  
  
"Ooh, did you hear that, Sirius? Maybe I should be scared now?" Potter laughed  
  
at Romulus, not knowing strength he had. Sirius nodded.  
  
"You might want to run for cover James." He agreed jokingly. Both Severus and  
  
Lucius looked livid, but Romulus motioned for them to stand down.  
  
"I know what to do." He muttered over his shoulder. Raising his wand, causing  
  
several people to leave the circle of onlookers for fear of safety, Romulus traced a  
  
reversed pentacle in the air. On the last point, he swished his wand towards Potter, Black  
  
and Pettigrew. If Remus was going to stand behind James, that was his problem.  
  
Romulus opened his mouth to shout out the curse.  
  
"Avada-"  
  
"Romulus! Stop this instant!" Romulus immediately recognized the voice of  
  
Albus Dumbledore, but that didn't mean he would let the headmaster stop him. He was  
  
always defending Potter, he never respected the Slytherins. Who could respect such a  
  
biased man?  
  
"Immagevra!" Romulus finished the curse triumphantly. Though Dumbledore  
  
was now lowering the wand he had been pointing at Romulus' throat, the Seventh-year  
  
student himself couldn't tear his eyes away from his own handiwork. A flash a dazzling  
  
green light raced towards Potter and his friends, bringing the whispered shriek of death  
  
on its wings. When the light finally broke over the four Gryffindor students, it became a  
  
bone freezing wind, which blew past them, while leaving its cruel mark in their hearts.  
  
Despite the fact that the curse had hit his brother, Romulus could not prevent the smile  
  
that curved his lips.  
  
Sirius Black's eyes had become wide and haunted. Pettigrew was wiping cold sweat from  
  
his forehead. James Potter's normally healthy complexion had been reduced to something  
  
even sicklier than Severus' sallow pallor. Perhaps Remus has learned something, thought  
  
Romulus as Remus shut his book, gripping it with violently trembling hands.  
  
Dumbledore was regarding Romulus with peculiar expression, though not of the typical  
  
Albus variety. It was a look that reminded Romulus of how the headmaster looked at a  
  
Dementor, with distaste, and a certain amount of fear.  
  
"You boys have had your fun." Dumbledore said as the crowd finally dispersed.  
  
"Now got to your common rooms, all of you." Only to eager to go where they had  
  
initially been trying to get to; Romulus, Severus and Lucius rushed down into the hollow  
  
corridors of the dungeons. The four Gryffindors were still very shocked and they made  
  
their way slowly up the stairs.  
  
As soon as they rounded a few corners in the first, echoing grey hall of the  
  
dungeons, Severus and Lucius began to pelt Romulus with questions.  
  
"Where did you learn that curse? How do you do it?" Lucius asked eagerly.  
  
Romulus smirked. Lucius was more his ally than his friend, and enjoyed having a power  
  
that he could hang over his head.  
  
"The curse is one of my own design, it's a modification of a certain, ahem, other  
  
curse."  
  
"What did it do to them?" Severus asked, his eyes glittering darkly. Something  
  
about his expression suggested he already knew.  
  
"It shows them what the Avada Kedavra curse feels like. It shows them what it  
  
would be like." Romulus paused to smile proudly at his next thought. "It also shows that I  
  
have the power and the ability to cast the real curse." Severus nodded, impressed.  
  
"You certainly do have a gift for curses, Romulus." He remarked. Romulus  
  
laughed mirthlessly at that, and the three quickened their pace, rushing down to the empty  
  
Slytherin common room and kneeling before the fire.  
  
"We're in this together, right?" Lucius watched Severus and Romulus  
  
expectantly. The other two didn't even need to speak to each other. Severus and Romulus  
  
certainly were in this together, they knew what a pact with the Dark Lord meant, and they  
  
would need someone to watch their backs. Lucius, on the other hand was not to be  
  
trusted. He came from one of the worst wizarding families known. Malfoys are famous  
  
for turning out evil, and by definition, stab other wizards in the back to save themselves.  
  
To make an agreement with Lucius could be signing their death warrant.  
  
Which, of course, they may soon be signing anyway...  
  
"We're together, absolutely." Romulus replied. Lucius foolishly accepted this as a  
  
plausible answer.  
  
The three Slytherins returned their attention to the fire as a shape began to appear there.  
  
Flickering into reality, a roll of parchment slowly became visible. Knowing without  
  
question what they had to do, the three teens reached into the fire to grip the parchment.  
  
Romulus felt anxiety grip him as they were torn from the common room; this was a very  
  
dangerous game to be playing.  
  
As the portkey slammed him into his knew surroundings, Romulus felt the  
  
anxiety stripped away in the excitement of the moment. He, Severus and Lucius stood in  
  
the dark corridor of a gloom saturated mansion. The carpet that covered the entrance was  
  
old and red, with several sinister brown stains splotching the fancy weave. Two men,  
  
hooded and masked, beckoned them out of the hall. Romulus would always remember  
  
entering the dingy dark study; he would forever adore the cruel silence that filled the  
  
room. More hooded men stood around the sides of the study. At the hard oak desk, a man  
  
of purely inspired hate and malice regarded them somewhat jovially with snake-like red  
  
eyes.  
  
"You know who I am," Lord Voldemort said, "Just as you know what joining me  
  
will mean. My power will rise and you are part of the next generation of my followers.  
  
You have been selected by my ancestor, Salazar, to enter into his order. The wizarding  
  
community must be cleansed of the weak. You will do this for me." Having been  
  
explained by Lucius's father of the event of initiation worked, Romulus, Severus and Lucius remained silent. Romulus noticed that Lucius winced as the Dark Lord withdrew  
  
his wand. This was the first reminder of their service. He pointed his wand to the young  
  
Malfoy.  
  
"Crucio." Malfoy writhed and screamed, the pain overwhelming him. Severus'  
  
eye was not on him, but on the masked figures. Some of them looked like fellow  
  
Slytherins already entered into the Dark Lords service...  
  
As Voldemort lifted his wand and pointed his wand to Severus in turn, Romulus  
  
winced as his friend under went the same horrible treatment. He couldn't help him now,  
  
too many people were watching. Finally, Voldemort lifted his wand, granting Severus  
  
relief from the pain. Turning finally to Romulus, he smiled in his pale face. The Dark  
  
Lord enjoyed so dearly causing pain.  
  
"Last but not least." He said, emitting a small dark chuckle. "Crucio." Romulus  
  
blinked. This curse was strange to him, he'd never felt it first-hand. It was like a writhing  
  
snake, snapping at him endlessly, trying desperately to break him. Remaining stubborn,  
  
Romulus waited for the twisting snake to tire slightly. As it did, the curse slowly settled  
  
into him, dissolving away in his heart.  
  
All that the watching Death Eaters had seen from outside the experience, was the young  
  
newbie close his eyes for a moment in concentration, and then open them, showing no  
  
pain to the effect of the curse that should've provided the ultimate torture.  
  
As Voldemort lifted his wand, he granted Romulus a twisted smile.  
  
"You will be very useful." He muttered mysteriously. In truth, Tom Marvolo  
  
Riddle was trying to hide sheer shock and amazement.  
  
The Dark Lord masks his feelings very well.  
  
Putting his wand down on the desk, Voldemort turned his attention to the three pieces of  
  
parchment sitting on the desk. They were the contracts that would bind the new Death  
  
Eaters to their Lord. Romulus just stopped himself from grinning, they were curses.  
  
Laying a black quill on the desk, close to Romulus and his friends, Voldemort explained.  
  
"In signing these contracts, you are bound to my service. You may never turn  
  
against me; you will be marked and easy to track down. You are conjoined to my causes  
  
and will follow my orders without question. You will be my servants." Nodding  
  
somberly, Lucius stepped forward. He picked up the quill and signed the contract. As  
  
magic blazed in Romulus' sight, the contracted was incinerated in black flames, marking  
  
it as complete.  
  
As Severus stepped up to sign his own contact, he gave Romulus a meaningful glance. As  
  
Severus signed the paper, Romulus muttered under his breath:  
  
"We were three and then were two but I was half and so were you." The curse  
  
secretly floated across the room, wrapping around the contract as it burst into flame as  
  
well. Romulus muttered the curse, barely audible as he signed the paper himself.  
  
Voldemort did not here Romulus either time, and grinned with satisfaction. These young  
  
students would become strong Death Eaters and perfect hands to form his plans.  
  
Coming around the desk, Voldemort approached his new servants. Romulus rolled his  
  
eyes, seeing a cold sweat on Lucius' brow as the Dark Lord once more took out his wand.  
  
Even Romulus couldn't deny that his inside had turned to ice after the preceding events.  
  
No feeling could ever compare to that of those thin, pale fingers pressing down on a  
  
freshly formed Dark Mark, or the feel of doom that circled you as the mark turned from  
  
livid red to shadow black.  
  
The Slytherins had gathered together, it was time for their graduate picture, the wizard in  
  
charge was still tinkering with the camera, and everyone was talking.  
  
"The curse worked?" Severus whispered to Romulus. Romulus nodded.  
  
"We are connected to the Dark Lord, and the Death Eaters, but on our own  
  
terms." Severus' lip curled in satisfaction.  
  
"And it all happened right under the headmaster's nose." Sneered Snape.  
  
Romulus laughed with joyfull cruelty. It would be the same laugh that the photographer  
  
captured, a reminder to anyone who saw the photo, that the Lupins had a history of being  
  
dangerous, and that now, it was Voldemort's danger to wield.  
  
\*/  
  
Returning to himself as the classroom filled with students, Romulus sighed heavily. He  
  
almost begrudged the burdens of teaching here. Being under Dumbledore's eye  
  
constantly irked him. He didn't owe his old Headmaster anything, though everyone else  
  
seemed to think that way. Remus was constantly being grateful for Dumbledore's aid in  
  
his life. Romulus on the other hand, was frustrated at once more being under the  
  
sickening, pure Gryffindor ideals. Did the school ever change Headmasters? Thinking  
  
back to package which sat in his office, Romulus thought: well maybe they do.  
  
His golden brown eyes finally cleared as he truly saw the students which sat before him.  
  
Romulus paled. Sitting straight in his seat in the front row, one particular student watches  
  
Romulus eagerly. The stiff air of curse floated around him. He was here? Romulus' mind  
  
buzzed. He was certain that this boy's life was in danger, and it mattered dearly to  
  
Romulus and his allies to keep him alive. Reading his name during attendance, the Sixth-  
  
year's eyes merely flashed in recognition. If any boy was to know he was a marked  
  
target, this one handed it very well.  
  
"Draco Malfoy?"  
  
A/N: Well, I dunno if this one was any good... The next chapter will be juicier, I promise. Please review this chapter, it keeps the voices away! Ps: Thanks to all my beautiful reviewers thus far, who have some lovely fics themselves.  
  
Next chap: Laying in the Corridor 


	4. Laying in the Corridor

Disclaimer: (Oh Christmas Tree)Oh J. K Rowling  
Oh J. K. Rowling  
How lovely are your stories  
I'm only here to have some fun  
Please don't sue me, or anyone  
Oh J. K Rowling  
Oh J. K. Rowling  
I'm not stealing your stories  
  
Chapter 4: Laying in the corridor.  
  
Draco crept closer and closer to Lupin's office, feeling a growing sense of foreboding.  
  
His father had told him that Romulus Lupin was going to be teaching at Hogwarts after  
  
the Christmas holidays, though this had not explained much. It did not explain how  
  
another Death Eater had made his way onto the staff unnoticed, nor did it explain the  
  
disappearance of the previous DADA teacher, who Professor Lupin had cleverly not  
  
mentioned in his introduction.  
  
Thinking of this as he shifted through the shadows, Draco felt privately that he would  
  
rather not know what had become of the other professor, for it may shortly be his own  
  
fate as well. There were people out to kill him; this Draco had learned in the last letter he  
  
had received from his father. The younger Malfoy was connected to the fate of some  
  
curse and therefore had to be destroyed. What Draco worried about the most was his  
  
father's tactful avoidance of which side was after him. Draco smugly felt that it made no  
  
difference. He could use the unforgivable curses, couldn't he? That was all he needed  
  
against any Order.  
  
Draco's mission tonight was vital for his own survival. Romulus was a Death Eater and a  
  
friend to the Malfoys, but he had been very shocked to see Draco at Hogwarts. He was  
  
Draco's key to learning where he could place his safety.  
  
As he came towards Lupin's office, Draco could hear voices inside, discussing in heated  
  
voices. For a moment, Draco thought it was Snape, another loyal Death Eater, but  
  
pressing his ear to the office door, Draco knew he had never heard the second voice  
  
before.  
  
Maybe he hadn't... and yet the voice was still familiar...  
  
"Did no one tell you that the Malfoy was at Hogwarts? Even I knew that."  
  
"I didn't think that Lucius would keep him at Hogwarts, not after the word got out  
  
that he is part of an important curse..."  
  
"And who let that information loose by the way? It surely wasn't you, was it?"  
  
"It was Severus, but they think he meant a curse for the Order, some of the Lords  
  
Death Eaters aren't so swift."  
  
"Well... Snape could've mentioned it to me; I need to know at all times which  
  
side his hearing what."  
  
"When would you have been able to speak to him, my Lord?"  
  
"He could've spoken to me while he was working with the Order..."  
  
"And let Dumbledore know about the curse? Honestly, where did you leave your  
  
brain?"  
  
"Where did you leave your respect for your lord?"  
  
"In my classroom."  
  
"Oh, we are all very amused... whatever happened to Slytherin pride? Now stay  
  
focused. Who has Voldemort sent out after the Malfoy boy?"  
  
"MacNair, that could cause us some problems, sir."  
  
"Why is that, Romulus?"  
  
"He favors muggle weapons; there is no counter curse to sharp steel."  
  
"Hmmm. I see what you mean. How close are we to needing the Malfoy?"  
  
"It's Draco, my lord and we-" The discussion stopped short. Draco waited, not  
  
breathing, for Romulus to continue, to reveal more...  
  
The door to Romulus' office jerked open, causing Draco to jump back in alarm.  
  
Romulus' eyes were holding firmly to the dark bags that hung beneath them. His face  
  
was pale, but not, it seemed from complete shock. Romulus was really in need of rest.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Romulus demanded his gaze boring into Malfoy's  
  
colourless eyes. Even though his eavesdropping may have placed in him in grave danger,  
  
Draco couldn't help but look past Romulus into his office. The Slytherin's blonde  
  
eyebrows shot up in surprise at what he beheld. There were boxes laying about, a ripped  
  
open package, whose contents were hidden by a stack of books, but there was no one else  
  
in the room.  
  
"Who were you talking to, professor?" Draco asked before he could stop himself.  
  
Romulus' eyes narrowed, he wondered of much the student had heard...  
  
"I wasn't talking to anyone Draco." When Draco merely stared at him, Romulus  
  
realized he shouldn't have said that.  
  
"Just, just go back to your common room before I give you a detention." He  
  
snapped, sending the boy regretfully away.  
  
As the professor once more closed his door, Draco just barely heard him say.  
  
"That was too close for comfort."  
  
"Indeed it was." Chimed in the second voice.  
  
By the next morning, over half the school knew that Romulus was talking to himself.  
  
Severus had no idea where the rumor had started, but it was certainly troubling. He had  
  
healed Romulus with the potion, hadn't he? The last thing he needed was his only living  
  
ally to go insane.  
  
Romulus slumped into his chair at the staff table. His mind was racing from last night's  
  
conversation. He was being reprimanded; the curse he had set so long ago was closely  
  
approaching, and honestly wasn't prepared.  
  
"Are you aware of the rumors going around the school?" A voice edged in ice  
  
inquired from behind. Romulus turned to come face to face with Severus Snape, who was  
  
looking furious.  
  
"Some of them... They say someone snuck into the castle last night..." Severus'  
  
face grew sharp with suspicion, he hadn't heard that...  
  
"That's not what I mean! The students all think that you were talking to yourself.  
  
Draco Malfoy has told me that he heard you." Romulus brought his hand up to his  
  
forehead. He knew he should've wiped the boy's memory! He lowered his voice as to  
  
permit himself from being overheard.  
  
"I wasn't alone. I was speaking to the true Dark Lord." Severus' eyes widened.  
  
He knew who Romulus spoke of, there could only be one Dark Lord...  
  
"Well, be careful then, you can't afford for anyone to find out that he's plotting  
  
here, at Hogwarts. The Headmaster," Severus couldn't help a sneering glance in  
  
Dumbledore's direction, "would have a fit." Snape took professor Flitwick's vacant seat  
  
in order to speak lower. "What about someone sneaking in?" He questioned.  
  
Romulus fiddled with his food. When he spoke, it was not to Severus but to the empty  
  
air, not wanting to draw attention to himself.  
  
"Professor McGonagall was worried about it. Apparently she thought she saw one  
  
or two figures on brooms arrive at the castle last night. Don't worry, I told her it was just  
  
me out to clear my head." Severus nodded, Minerva was too panicky to be told that  
  
potentially, there were wanted escaped Death Eaters hiding in the castle grounds.  
  
"Are they after Malfoy?" Snape muttered, he stood, getting ready to set off to the  
  
dungeons. Romulus nodded, it was inescapable; they would have to take serious  
  
measures to protect the boy.  
  
"It would be best, I think, if we guarded the halls tonight, to watch for our newly  
  
arrived guests." Romulus said airily, as though it were a light comment.  
  
"Of course." Severus agreed, striding from the hall. He had to put distance  
  
between himself and his ally. Already he worried that Dumbledore might over hear one  
  
such conversation. Severus knew that his plotting was currently beyond explanation.  
  
The thing about swift separation and hushed voices among conspirators, was that  
  
they didn't do much for secrecy when it came to the three Gryffindor Sixth- years  
  
crouching beneath the staff table.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That night, huddled beneath Harry's invisibility cloak, the three eavesdroppers walked  
  
carefully along the dungeon's corridor. Excitement still filled them from the talk they  
  
heard.  
  
"I knew Snape was in it with You-Know-Who! I told you, I don't know how  
  
many times..."  
  
"Yes yes, Ron we KNOW. We heard the first three dozen times!" Hermione shot  
  
at Ron.  
  
"I wonder why exactly anyone would want to kill Malfoy..." Harry wondered.  
  
"Who wouldn't?" scoffed Ron. He could not see how Malfoy's death would be a  
  
loss.  
  
"Shhhh! someone is coming!" Hermione said in a frantic whisper. The three of  
  
them backed up firmly into the shadowed wall of the gloomy hall as a figure rounded the  
  
corner.  
  
The figure's movements could only be described as stalking. He walked through  
  
the hall in his elected gait, slowly turning his head from side to side. It was too dark for  
  
Harry to clearly see the man's form or features, but he had that dreaded feeling of  
  
recognition that he could not brush away.  
  
A second shadow entered the hallway. The first figure hid momentarily to let the other  
  
pass. As the second person looked around, the first let out a small laugh.  
  
"Who's there?" A horse voice called out, coming from the second shape in the  
  
dark. "You won't get past me. The common room is out your reach tonight, but not  
  
mine." Another laugh comes from the first figure, causing the second to stiffen angrily.  
  
"Is that you, Lupin?" A gruff, sinister voice inquired. A toned of pleasure rising in  
  
his voice.  
  
"Yes... who's there?" Professor Lupin asked words thick with suspicion. Before  
  
any of the observers in the gloomy corridor could react, the other figure rushed towards  
  
Lupin. There was a glint of metal in the near darkness, followed by a haunting cry, which  
  
was transformed into a gurgling cough. Professor Lupin fell to the floor, leaving the  
  
figure to flee the hallway.  
  
Only when they could be sure that the attacker had gone, did Harry, Ron and Hermione  
  
light their wands. The ample light that now lit the grey stone hallway allowed them no  
  
merci. It was with a shaken horror that the three students took in their harsh surroundings.  
  
Lupin lay on the bitter stone floor, his face a mask of agony. Sweat slid from his face,  
  
while he weakly coughed blood onto his chin. A wickedly detailed knife protruded from  
  
the center of his torso, just under his ribcage. The knife had been twisted after it had been  
  
thrust in, and a generous flow of blood was spilling from the wound, soaking his robes  
  
and pooling around him on the floor.  
  
"H-Harry." He barely managed to splutter. More blood bubbled up from his  
  
throat. Hermione reached forward to touch the knife, but jerked her hand backwards  
  
seconds before making contact.  
  
"It's been cursed." She explained. She looked down uncertainly for a moment  
  
before her own mind caught up with her. "HELP! Someone!" She cried, putting all her  
  
effort into the shout.  
  
"What is going on here?" A voice drawled in a tired manner.  
  
Draco Malfoy slouched out of the concealed entrance to the Slytherin common room, a  
  
few yards down the corridor. He had the appearance of someone who had just hastily  
  
pulled one's robes over one's head. "Can't you play your silly little night games  
  
somewhere el-" Draco paused in his sentence, his hand frozen in the motion of fixing his  
  
hair. His eyes were stuck as though hypnotized on Lupin's bloodied form. Any slight,  
  
mocking form of colour that had once been on Draco's face had drained away. "Oh my  
  
God."  
  
Sitting in the hospital wing, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco said nothing. They  
  
were uncertain as to why they had been brought along. It was Snape who had found them,  
  
helpless, unable to ease any of Lupin's pain. The knife had been removed, but the blade  
  
and the implanted curse had done their jobs. Madam Pomfrey did everything she could  
  
while Lupin clung to his life with a weak hold.  
  
Snape was speaking to Dumbledore, his voice carrying in the stiff silence.  
  
"The man responsible is no longer in the castle, headmaster, but he could easily  
  
return. He only attacked Professor Lupin because he was in his way." Dumbledore  
  
nodded slowly, giving Snape one of his thoughtful stares.  
  
"Do you know who is behind this, Severus? Is there something you're not telling  
  
me?" Snape shook his head.  
  
"I can only guess, Headmaster, I can't see why the Dark Lord would attack would  
  
attack a Malfoy. After all..."  
  
"That's enough." Dumbledore cut in, while Severus smiled slightly at his  
  
successful diversion tactic. "If Draco is in danger here at Hogwarts, then perhaps-"  
  
"He CANNOT leave the school!" Snape said with a forceful insistence. Everyone  
  
but Lupin turned their eyes to him, shocked at his nearly panicked outburst.  
  
Severus, kicking himself mentally for exposing hidden information, was spared  
  
having to explain himself by a much more rattling event.  
  
"Dumbledore, what happened?" The man at the doorway stared into the  
  
infirmary, surprise and disbelief shaping his exhausted features.  
  
Looking up from his bed, Professor Lupin beheld his mirror image looking over at  
  
him. Both men were purely astonished to see one another.  
  
"Brother?" Lupin inquired in an exhausted rasp from his infirmary bed.  
  
A/N: Okay, done for now. Like it? Don't like it? Well review any. Please, I beseech you. Next Chapter: The Curse and the Boggart 


	5. The Curse and the Boggart

Disclaimer: Having a disclaimer  
Isn't really bad  
All say is: they're not my books  
It keeps the authors glad  
*  
But since I'm writing this  
Very late at night  
This won't be a poem  
Because I've lost the ability to rhyme (  
  
Chapter 5: The Curse and the Boggart  
  
Lupin in strode into the infirmary to stand beside his wounded twin, his eyes  
  
intensely examining the open wound.  
  
"What has happened here?" He repeated, his tone demanding a response from the  
  
stricken silence. Dumbledore took a step towards him, away from a seething Snape.  
  
"Sorry, I was just very shocked, Lupin. I didn't expect to see you here..."  
  
Dumbledore began apologetically. Lupin raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Why shouldn't you see me here?" Not waiting for an answer, he turned to Snape,  
  
who's expression resembled that someone who would dearly love to viciously gut a  
  
person while that person was still conscious. "Severus, the attacker was indeed after  
  
Malfoy wasn't he? Can you confirm who the attacker's identity?"  
  
Snape had never been famous for concealing his hatred. It was a miracle to all  
  
present that he did not strangle Lupin for speaking to him like he was questioning  
  
witnesses.  
  
"The only one who knows that ..." Snape said, ice hanging off his words, "Is lying  
  
half dead. Besides, why would I tell you, even if I did know?"  
  
Lupin blinked slightly at Snapes words, but merely shrugged.  
  
"He's not dying." Lupin said looking down at his brother once more. "The problem is right here." His next action caused everyone but Madam Pomfrey's stomach  
  
to roll unpleasantly. Pulling back the sleeve of left arm, Lupin plunged his hand into his  
  
twin's ugly, gaping gash. The man laying on the bed had fallen unconscious already, and  
  
so was spared what would have been cruel torture.  
  
Removing his gore stained hand, Lupin held his hand palm up, to show his disbelieving  
  
observers. Using a cloth by the bed to wipe it clean of most of the blood, Lupin showed  
  
them a nickel sized piece of shining metal with grisly pointed edges.  
  
"The curse released these into his body, worsening his condition. Hundreds of  
  
tiny metal shards like this one."  
  
Snape shook his head in disapproval. He could see quite easily how Lupin's theory didn't  
  
quite add up.  
  
"Even with those nasty little things, his wound was is large enough to explain the  
  
severe fever he has developed."  
  
Draco nodded from his place on the sidelines, Snape was quite right of course.  
  
What interested Draco more however, was Lupin's survival, he had to know more about  
  
the plot and why his life was involved.  
  
"Ah, but you have missed the most obvious thing, Severus. Really, a member of  
  
the Two should have picked up on this kind of thing."  
  
Lupin's light comment sent Severus' mind into a back spiral. 'How could he have  
  
known?' He thought in tense worry. But as his mind righted, Severus' expression of  
  
blank shock was twisted into a wry smile.  
  
The most obvious answer had presented itself.  
  
Nodding to Snape's knew expression, Lupin continued for the rest of his audience's  
  
benefit.  
  
"The fever does indeed rise from these shards, if unintentionally by their maker.  
  
The knife used and the shards released are made of pure silver. Remus was quite  
  
unfortunate to be the one in the way of such a weapon."  
  
Romulus smiled at the surprise that he could see in the Headmaster's face. He  
  
could here his mind voice laughing inside him: 'If you can't tell the difference between  
  
us now, how will you when it really counts?'  
  
With Romulus' discovery of the silver shards, Remus was quickly healed. Much  
  
to his twin's dismay, Remus stayed on at the school. He had "matters" to discuss with  
  
Dumbledore. In Romulus' mind that meant two things: the Order and himself.  
  
Romulus was aware of what Remus and Dumbledore thought of him. They knew he was  
  
a Death Eater, but like Snape, they thought he was gathering information for the Order.  
  
Romulus had never given the side of good much credit for being smart...  
  
Sitting in his office, Romulus and Severus spoke to their Dark Lord, the only true  
  
lord. They were quite aware of Draco Malfoy, who was hiding behind a bookshelf,  
  
listening. By this time, they knew it to be vital that Draco overhear what they would say.  
  
Draco had discovered only that morning that Potter and his friends knew something about  
  
Romulus' secrets. Apparently, he had once let loose a phrase that Snape had wanted kept  
  
quiet.  
  
"We were three and then were two but I was half and so were you." The phrase so  
  
far meant nothing to the three Gryffindors, but upon hearing it, Draco had cunningly  
  
recalled that Romulus had said that Professor Snape was "a member of the Two".  
  
"Are you certain that no one can overhear us, Romulus?" A voice inquired. It was  
  
that irritatingly familiar voice that Draco couldn't quite place. To look around the  
  
bookshelf to see the speaker would have meant revealing himself.  
  
"Positive." Romulus replied; "Only members of the Two can understand what we  
  
are saying."  
  
"What of the Three? How are we dealing with them right now? A member of the  
  
Order just arrived, didn't he? What information has he brought?"  
  
"Both sides of the Three are now aware that Draco is a key to a curse." Severus  
  
answered to the unrecognized voice. "They do not know that it is connected to Romulus'  
  
curse or to the sacrifice we will need for your rising, my lord."  
  
"It had better stay that way." The voice snapped. "When are your friends arriving,  
  
Romulus? The sooner we have control of the school, the better."  
  
This caused Romulus to laugh a little.  
  
"I contacted them before coming to Hogwarts. They should arrive any day now, if  
  
I'm any judge."  
  
"We will finally be able to set the future right." Severus, remarked with  
  
satisfaction.  
  
"But we'll need your help, Draco." Said the unknown voice. The bookshelf had  
  
been dragged out of place before Draco had even known what was happening.  
  
Seeing the man whose identity had eluded him, Draco smiled. Dumbledore could  
  
not possibly imagine who was hiding in his very own school, plotting against him.  
  
"Does my father know about this?" Draco asked, watching the eyes of the true  
  
Dark Lord intently.  
  
"No," He replied, "my plans do not include the use of Lucius Malfoy. I could trust  
  
him about as far as I could throw a hippogriff." The young Slytherin nodded in  
  
acceptance. His father's ideals had always seemed not quite what Draco had in mind for  
  
himself.  
  
Snape made to leave Romulus' office, he had a class to teach soon. He turned to  
  
his fellow Death Eater:  
  
"Romulus, I think you should fully explain to Malfoy the curse that you have laid  
  
down, and the... finer points of Voldemort's contract."  
  
Harry and Hermione sat down in their least favorite class. Ron would be missing  
  
that day's installment of potions class; Romulus' actions the night before had upset his  
  
stomach. They had heard that Remus Lupin had recovered once the shards had been  
  
removed, but they had not seen him since.  
  
"Bet you Snape got to him first." Harry muttered darkly to Hermione.  
  
They had no further time to discuss it however, as Professor Snape entered the  
  
potions dungeon. He clearly had something else on his mind. Most of the students had  
  
never seen Snape so distracted; he was muttering to himself. Coming out of his mind for  
  
a moment, Snape looked almost startled to the class full of students waiting for him to  
  
begin the lesson.  
  
"Ah, yes, this class will be a study period. I recommend you study, because I will  
  
be giving you a test worth forty percent of your grade next class." Nearly the entire class  
  
began to panic and shuffle through their notes, while Severus sat down at his desk in  
  
relief. 'I am far to occupied to deal with students.' He thought to himself, justifying his  
  
actions. 'The Two need a sacrifice, or He can never rise. But who?'  
  
"Professor?" An irritating voice intruded his thoughts. Severus looked up and  
  
resisted the temptation to spit at the face of Harry Potter, who was giving him the oddest  
  
look...  
  
Harry was worried by Snape's attitude. He had tried to sound cruel and nasty, but  
  
it had seemed half-hearted to Harry. Snape never passed up an opportunity to enjoy being  
  
nasty.  
  
"What do you want, Potter?" Snape said lazily barely paying attention.  
  
"Well, I-" Harry was trying to figure exactly what he wanted to say, when he was  
  
abruptly denied the opportunity. Shrieks erupted from the class as a sinister cold swept  
  
into the corners of Harry's mind.  
  
"Harry look out behind you!"  
  
"What is it doing in the school?"  
  
Harry turned, dreading what he knew he would see.  
  
A dementor stood in the door way. Its dark hood turned directly to Harry as he  
  
was the closest thing to it. The rattling breaths it took almost drew Harry towards it.  
  
Trying feebly to think of a happy thought, Harry called on his patronus.  
  
"Expecto Partonum!" The mere ghost of his great stag flitted from his wand. The  
  
dementor barely even hesitated.  
  
"Out of the way Potter." Snape said, stepping in front of him. But as Severus  
  
confronted the creature, it changed forms with an enormous CRACK!  
  
What it became was a very shocking sight indeed.  
  
The panic of the students increased as Lord Voldemort became visible. Harry  
  
watched in utter shock as a small scene played out before him. He saw Dumbledore  
  
appear as well. There was a flash of green light, after which Voldemort lay dead on the  
  
floor.  
  
"Riddikulus!" Severus called out angrily, causing the boggart to explode.  
  
The class had gone completely silent after the boggart had gone, their confusion  
  
making them still very much on edge. Snape's face was livid. The only time Harry had  
  
ever seen more terrifying rage and frustration, was on Voldemort's face himself.  
  
"Class is dismissed. I don't care what you do for the next hour, just go... NOW!"  
  
Feeling the force built up in Snape's words, the students rushed from the dungeon. "Wait  
  
a moment, Potter."  
  
The last thing that Harry wanted to do at that moment was to sit around this class  
  
any longer, but he knew better than to cross Snape when he was at his worst.  
  
"Sir?" He asked innocently.  
  
"Whatever it is you thought you saw that boggart change into... you've already  
  
forgotten it. Is that clear?" Harry nodded, feeling as though he would be inches from  
  
death, should he give the wrong answer. "Good, now leave Potter."  
  
As Harry caught up with Hermione to tell her the news, he did not realize that the  
  
Sixth-year Slytherins were leaving a class room and coming into the corridor just behind  
  
him. As Harry's amazingly good luck would have it, Draco stepped in behind them just  
  
in time to hear Hermione's whispered exclamation:  
  
"Snape's worst fear is Voldemort's DEATH?!"  
  
*  
  
A/N: I would like to make a note about this fic. If I can get 35 reviews for it (I currently have 23) then I will through a huge party! Yeah party! So review!  
  
Next Chapter: Romulus' Dear Old Friends 


	6. Romulus' Dear Old Friends

Disclaimer (Bibbidi bobbidi boo): J. K. R.'s settings J. K. R.'s character's But new plot and disclaimer too Put it together and what have you got? A fanfic that she cannot sue  
  
Chapter 6: Romulus' Dear Old Friends  
  
"Are you absolutely certain? He said those exact words?" The Dark Lord looked  
  
piercingly into Draco's silver eyes.  
  
Draco nodded. It had been a few days since he had been discovered hiding in  
  
Romulus' office, but Draco had yet to be alone with his master. It was odd for him, the  
  
only reason he was bound to this service was because he had been born in the right place  
  
at the right time. Even still, he knew that he served the only true master.  
  
And what exactly was the right place and time? For Draco it meant being a  
  
descendant of the Dark Lord, as well as a Slytherin. Romulus' curse had picked the most  
  
perfect candidate.  
  
"You'll need to send Potter off our trail; he is hopelessly meddlesome and always  
  
goes whining to Dumbledore." The Dark Lord's voice crossed over the two names with  
  
delicate loathing.  
  
"But what should I tell him? Not about the sacrifice?" Draco watched the thin eyes  
  
warily. He knew Potter better than this man did; giving away the wrong details would just  
  
make matters worse.  
  
The thin featured man laughed in his mocking way.  
  
"Oh, just tell him the truth; that will send him off course better than any lie could."  
  
Draco smirked, that was certainly true. Romulus' curse/riddle did its job  
  
unbelievably well.  
  
"Yes, Professor." Draco consented. He turned and left Professor Lupin's office,  
  
heading quickly towards the Great Hall.  
  
Remus Lupin sat across from his twin, watching him with eyes filled with distrust.  
  
'How much has Romulus been changed? He doesn't look like he's skipped a beat.' As  
  
Romulus mildly ate his breakfast, he seemed like he'd been eating like that for years,  
  
instead of weeks.  
  
"Why are you watching me?" Romulus asked, snapping his brother out of his  
  
musings. Remus tried to reflect disinterest with a shrug.  
  
"You haven't changed at all, have you?" The question was more an accusation.  
  
"Well, I DID tell I was working for Dumbledore, I'm a double agent." This  
  
smooth statement sounded too truthful to Remus. For some reason he had no trouble  
  
believing his brother.  
  
And yet, the honesty made him even more concerned.  
  
"Why should it? Anything you've found out, can't be something be don't already  
  
know." Hermione's expression nearly shouted self-assurance.  
  
"So you know the answer to Romulus' riddle? I guess we've got nothing to trade  
  
then." Said Draco. He turned to make his leave from the Great Hall, knowing that he  
  
already had the idiotic Gryffindors right where he needed them.  
  
"Malfoy! Wait! Tell us what you know!" Harry, Ron and Hermione came rushing  
  
behind Draco's retreating figure. Draco did everything he could to subdue his broad,  
  
malicious grin as he turned around to face them.  
  
"All right, I'll tell you- OW!" Draco exclaimed suddenly, slapping his hand to the  
  
back of his head. He spun around to examine his surroundings, but there was no one but  
  
them, four students, standing by the vacant stairway.  
  
[A/N: Yeah, you know what that means...]  
  
"Anyway... I understand the riddle. Because Romulus and Severus are HALF the  
  
TWO is really FOUR. The Three means two extra people, people that aren't really part of  
  
the alliance. Two people are being left out."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, clearly thinking her knowledge was ten times superior.  
  
"That's hardly worth trading our password for; we could have figured that out by  
  
ourselves. What else do you know, Malfoy?"  
  
Draco sighed in mock defeat.  
  
"Okay, try this: Did you know that Romulus was in Azkaban?" As their jaws  
  
dropped, Draco knew he had hit gold.  
  
"He was in Azkaban?" Said Harry in a tense voice, "When?"  
  
Draco rubbed his hair smooth where it had been ruffled in the back. The picture of  
  
casualness.  
  
"I don't know when he got IN exactly, but I know when he was released." The  
  
Slytherin couldn't help pausing for dramatic effect, his glee fighting to break onto his  
  
features.  
  
"When was he released?" Harry asked. Draco noticed that Potter's voice had taken  
  
on that low quality that suggested he was VERY close to yelling at the top of his lungs.  
  
"He was released October 2nd, just last year before the break. So he's been in  
  
Azkaban roughly... sixteen years? Give or take a few months."  
  
The effect that this news had on Potter and his friends was nothing short hilarious. The  
  
expressions of horror that rose on their faces had Draco shaking with the effort of  
  
containing his laughter.  
  
"No one he's been talking to himself in his office. Azkaban drove him mad!" Ron  
  
muttered, truly haunted by the idea of a man fresh from Azkaban roaming free in their  
  
school.  
  
Draco nearly shouted out: "He isn't talking to himself, you idiot!" but managed to  
  
contain himself in time. He had said what he needed to say, he would let the golden trio  
  
do their own detective work.  
  
"Okay, pay up Granger, what's the password?" Draco asked. He had needed an  
  
excuse to tell them "secrets" the added bonus of learning their common room password  
  
was too good to pass up.  
  
"The word is cornfield, come on lets go." She muttered in a low voice to Harry.  
  
The three Sixth-years scurried off in their mildly irritating fashion, leaving Draco to  
  
laugh until his eyes were filled with tears and his side hurt. 'Oh man, are they fools.' He  
  
thought.  
  
That evening, as the false calm of night stretched over Hogwarts, five shadows  
  
lurked out onto the castle grounds.  
  
Well, more accurately; three lurked, while two walked with the purpose and  
  
obviousness of someone with no reason to hide.  
  
Romulus strolled carelessly out onto the snow covered field which overlooked the  
  
lake. The weather was very mild, only a few degrees below zero. It was just enough to  
  
keep the snowy blanket that illuminated the scene.  
  
Beside Romulus stood Draco Malfoy, who by now was rather used to being hauled  
  
off into the night without warning. It seemed that when one was involved in a conspiracy,  
  
such activities were compulsory.  
  
"So who are these friends of yours? Other Death Eaters?" Draco asked, his head  
  
turning in all directions, taking in the sparkling snow and its blue shadows. Three of the  
  
blue shadows he could see on the snow were most definitely a familiar shape; the shape  
  
of certain invisible students sticking their brave little noses where they shouldn't be.  
  
Romulus' whistled lightly to the crisp air. He was in no hurry. His dear friends  
  
would arrive when they saw fit. Smiling to himself at the old fun he had enjoyed with his  
  
comrades, he almost missed the warm breeze that flitted through the air; the telltale sign  
  
of the arrival of his friends.  
  
As the first black hooded and cloaked form appeared as if out of nowhere, Romulus  
  
stepped forward and hugged him like he was family.  
  
"Welcome, old friends." He said to the gathering crowd.  
  
*~*  
  
Harry had taken it upon himself to watch Romulus on the marauder's map for the rest  
  
of the day. When the mysterious Death Eater had gone out on the grounds with Draco  
  
Malfoy, he, Ron and Hermione had followed under the invisibility cloak.  
  
They only been able to tell that Romulus was waiting for some people, but they did  
  
not know who. As the first one appeared, Harry had at first thought that a wind had  
  
picked up, causing the air to become colder. The air was at dead stand still.  
  
There were at least forty or fifty dementors surrounding Romulus. Draco had baked  
  
away in panic and had fallen to ground. Harry's mind was rushing with the approach of  
  
concentrated despair. Hermione's scream sounded muted as gray-blue hand pulled back  
  
their concealing cloak.  
  
*~*  
  
Romulus looked around at the crowd of dementors, a warm feeling in his heart. It did him  
  
good to see his fondest friends again...  
  
As Draco stumbled away in shock, Romulus pointed him out to the crowd.  
  
(A/N: this /| (writing) |\ means they are speaking their language.)  
  
"/|This boy is needed for the rising, and is not to be harmed.|\" Romulus explained,  
  
speaking in ghostly rasps of the dementors' private language.  
  
His head spun around as he heard a shriek. There was a circle of dementors  
  
surrounding the Potter boy and his friends. One dementor was straightening up, pulling  
  
his back over his monstrous face.  
  
"/|Leave those children be, my brothers! They were eavesdropping, but they are  
  
strongly favored by your strongest enemy.|\" Romulus strode over to them.  
  
Almost as if they were embarrassed, they backed away to form a large loose circle.  
  
When they had distanced themselves enough, Harry found control of himself again.  
  
Hermione had fainted, but Romulus could've expected that. It was easy to explain.  
  
What was difficult was to explain to those furious green eyes why Ron Weasley sat  
  
still like a statue, his eyes unfocused, and his face expressionless and pale.  
  
"Professor, did they..." Harry began, his voice shaking with rage.  
  
"/|Yes, I'm-|\... I mean: Yes, I'm sorry."  
  
A/N: Oooh two chaps, two days. BE IMPRESSED. Or, you know, don't be. That's fine. Just review, or voice #6 (George) will come to your house. George likes knives. ^_^  
  
Next Chapter: Explanations and excuses. 


	7. Explanations and Excuses

Disclaimer:  
[Chinese Fan] My fic sails from my brain   
Though it's not owned by me   
They are J.K's treasures I've loaned them you see   
I use them for my plan   
Just imagine my bliss   
T' get t' write weird disclaimers like this, like this, like this, like this....

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PLEASE NOTE: the mean nasty fanfiction isn't letting me use my backslashes for some reason so the dementor language quotes only open with "/ and don't end with another slash. I'll work around it next time, but I'm tired tonight, so leave me alone about it.

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Chapter 7: Explanations and Excuses  
  
Harry's life had fallen out from underneath him. His best friend was dead. Not even  
  
dead... worse than dead. His soul had been sucked from his body. All Harry was left with  
  
was the empty husk of what had once been his irreplaceable companion. He looked up at  
  
Romulus with eyes filled with horror. This was the man who had embraced the  
  
dementors, who had a connection, who did not feel their cruel touch...

--------------------------------------------------------------------  
Romulus looked around at the circle of his companions which had distanced  
  
themselves. In the naturally evil sounding dialect that Harry could not understand,  
  
Romulus spoke to the mass of black cloaks:  
  
"/All right... Which one of you has it? " He could feel the presence of each  
  
figure and the pure unenergy of the void of their souls. They were beings of curse matter  
  
and also consumers of it and its opposite; the same as Romulus.  
  
Turning to one of his fellows, Romulus saw it immediately. The vivaciousness  
  
where there should be none. A freshly swallowed soul still traveling through the dark  
  
while not yet digested.  
  
"/Yes you, come here." Romulus ordered in a scolding voice. The figure stood forward among the crowd, hooded head slightly hung. "/I told you, I don't know how  
  
many times before I left you all. These souls are NOT for eating. There will plenty other  
  
souls for you later, not to mention death curses..."  
  
A ripple of excitement flitted through the crowd at the promise of the delicious  
  
green lightning.  
  
"/Now give it back." Romulus said sternly.  
  
"/Forgive me, Romulus." Rasped the dementor. "/I lost power over my hunger for  
  
a moment. I've been guarding the outside grounds of Azkaban and haven't fed much."  
  
Romulus nodded his compassionate understanding. He extended a hand and drew a  
  
phantom's breath as the dementor exhaled.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

What Harry saw before him, he couldn't quite understand. All he absorbed was the  
  
shock of two death clawing voices talking briefly and then Romulus extended his hand.  
  
With the shiver of two dementors' rattling breath, light slowly began to flow out of the  
  
dementor to condense and rest meekly in Romulus' outstretched palm.  
  
Crouching down by Ron in his comatose state, Romulus held his palm before the  
  
blank boy. Twisting in its fluid way, the light of Ron's soul twirled back within him. As  
  
the spark of spirit snapped back into Ron's eyes, the boy gasped. Looking at his DADA  
  
teacher in a sort of baffled outrage, he edge quickly backwards away from him.  
  
"What are you doing? You let dementors on the grounds? They nearly killed Ron!  
  
How come you don't feel them like we do?" Apparently, the Gryffindor do gooder had  
  
found his voice. The dementors were slowly edging away, making for their temporary  
  
home in the forbidden forest.  
  
"/I will send the master to speak with you soon." Romulus called to his friends.  
  
Temporarily ignoring his newly revived friend Harry jumped to his feet in the  
  
sickeningly bold style of Godric's descendants. Puke.  
  
"Are you listening to me?" He shouted as Romulus rolled his eyes. "We know your  
  
fresh from Azkaban and we know you and Snape are doing something for Voldemort!  
  
What are you going to say to Dumbledore? He'll be down here any minute you know!  
  
He's aware of everything that goes on in this school!"  
  
Romulus was fed up with this righteous indignation. His eyes darkened as they  
  
turned on Harry.

-------------------------------------------------------------------  
Draco, who had managed to find his feet as the dementors had left the field, was  
  
rewarded with a sight one didn't see every day.  
  
Harry was panting slightly from his outburst. He faced Romulus Lupin stubbornly,  
  
even when the man's eyes sharpened on him harder than it seemed possible.  
  
Romulus gave a long, rattling intake of breath, as though trying to calm himself before he  
  
knocked Harry senseless. When the darkness clamped tightly around Harry and he was  
  
drowning in his mother's screams, he realized too late what had happened.  
  
Draco was filled for a moment once again with that feeling of unrestrained  
  
depression, that permanent misery. Only for a moment. His world stood firmly beneath  
  
him, while all the Gryffindor Sixth-years lay unconscious on the ground.

------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Severus Snape sat in Romulus' office, listening to the other man explain the events  
  
that had taken place. He couldn't help but smirk at the thought that Ron Weasley had  
  
nearly been killed.  
  
Oh well, better luck next time.  
  
"So, once the children are out of the hospital wing, how WERE you planning to  
  
explain all this to the headmaster?" He asked Romulus.  
  
Romulus, Draco and the true Dark Lord all watched Severus for a moment, until the  
  
sallow skinned man rolled his eyes. Even among curse coated conspirators, there was  
  
sometimes no subtlety.  
  
"FINE. But if I'm to tell the Headmaster, who will be going to speak to Voldemort?  
  
He sent a letter to me yesterday. Something about why more than half his dementors just  
  
walked off without notice?"  
  
"I can't go." Romulus said. "If I leave, more than half of "Voldemort's" dementors  
  
have no reason not to come waltzing out of the forest and take over the school. Before  
  
schedule, I might add. They are my friends, but they don't have the self- control that a  
  
quarter-bloodlike me has."  
  
"I could go." Draco said, facing the rest of the Two, with a clear certainty. "I may  
  
be young, but as a Malfoy I will be taken seriously."  
  
Severus shook his head firmly.  
  
"No, it can't be you; we need you to keep tabs on Potter. We can't have him or you  
  
leaving the school before we've wrapped up our curse. Not to mention we could use  
  
some stronger efforts on your part to keep his nose out of our plans." Draco nodded. It  
  
may put the situation at a stale-mate, but what the potions' Master had said was correct,  
  
he couldn't leave Hogwarts.  
  
"We have to contact Voldemort somehow, before we have another attempted  
  
murder. MacNair was feet away from Draco's dormitory."  
  
"I have a way to solve this problem with Voldemort, Potter and Remus Lupin all in  
  
one go." The Dark Lord's voice was not over confident. His smooth and shrewd voice  
  
stated pure fact.  
  
"How?" Said Snape, as the previous sort of statement really demands such a  
  
question.  
  
"With your daughter." Was the swift reponse.  
  
Severus slid from the edge of Romulus' desk where he'd been sitting and had to scramble  
  
to keep from tumbling to floor. Standing and straightening his robes, Severus' pale  
  
complexion had departed, leaving the teacher's face utterly colourless.  
  
"You've gone mad in there!" Snape spluttered to the true Dark Lord. "My daughter  
  
is a squib, she's a half-blooded... well... she's criminally insane!"  
  
The Dark Lord nodded in satisfaction.  
  
"And she's already hiding amongst the students, isn't she?" Severus protest fell dead.  
  
"You're right," he said humbly, "she'll be perfect for the job."  
  
Romulus laughed.  
  
"Quarter-blood this... half-blood that... says who that Slytherins are purists?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Severus sat in the Great Hall two days later, a migraine flaming at his temples. His  
  
job of talking with Dumbledore, however, was through.  
  
Quite surprisingly, the old man had bought the excuse that the dementors were on  
  
the "light" side and that they had merely been a little over zealous from their long  
  
journey.  
  
The forces of good were far to trusting these days.  
  
The forces of evil, however, would take a few more days to persuade. Voldemort  
  
was going to make sure he had strong bonds of loyalty had Hogwarts. It was not going to  
  
take a five minute discussion like it had with Albus. Voldemort was not that stupid.  
  
Well, in the Two's eyes he was pretty damn close.  
  
What was really nagging at Snape wasn't the fact that Romulus had gone of into the  
  
forest to converse with his fellow curse creatures. Romulus would manage his overeager  
  
friends. He was far more concerned about his daughter.  
  
Rachelle had been at one point incarcerated for being insane and homicidal. Severus  
  
had seen to it that she was delivered from the Asylum, knowing that she wasn't truly as  
  
bad as they thought she was.  
  
She was worse.  
  
Being a squib had certainly not impeded her potential in slightest bit. She was certainly a  
  
quite capable sixteen year old. Very resource full and quite a find as an assistant for the  
  
Two's plot. She understood the cause her father fought for and was eager to help.  
  
Severus hoped she didn't kill anyone. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trying hard to forget the events of two nights ago, Harry, Ron and Hermione  
  
enjoyed the party that was in full swing in the Great Hall. It was celebration that was a  
  
cloud over many people's minds. It was the 35th anniversary of something, but anyone  
  
Harry asked wasn't quite sure what exactly.  
  
'Oh, too bad, happy 35th whatever.' Harry thought to himself, determined to have fun.  
  
When a Gryffindor is determined to have fun, they tended to miss certain important details. Such as; a Professor at the head table rubbing his temples in pain he would never  
  
usually show.  
  
Another thing they may miss is the ever attentively listening (and, it seemed  
  
repetitively fortunate) blonde Slytherin who was behind him as he whispered to Ron.  
  
"I've had enough of all this guessing, tonight, I say we break into Professor  
  
Lupin's- uh- Romulus Lupin's office we need to uncover the truth." 

------------------------------------------------------------------

Once he was finished explaining to his fellow dementors that excuses were being  
  
made to Voldemort and that they should wait for his word before making their presence  
  
known, Romulus Lupin made his way back towards the castle.  
  
As he walked over frozen turf, he walked over what he mistook for a shadow, and t  
  
ripped. Looking back o inspect the place, his widened with shock.  
  
The poor Hufflepuff Fourth-year was not dead, not yet. She had been attacked by  
  
some sort of sharp object, the were bloody cuts all over her. As Romulus dutifully helped  
  
the startled girl back up to the school, she kept mumbling something about being lucky  
  
that she had the flu. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seeing in the light of the school's front hall torches how bad the student had been  
  
bloodied up, Romulus mumbled to himself:  
  
"/Criminally insane, eh?" 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Et puis, c'est tout! I know this chapter was a little bit comme si comme ca, but I've been otherwise engaged in other things. I also am aware that I took forever to write this but since no one reads this anyway it's really more like rambling to myself anyway. R&R! Oh yeah : You're the best Outay! Next Chap: A Full Moon and a Jar Filled with Lollipops 

ps: I'm sorry if the spacing is funked up this time, from my laptop I can't really tell. [Screen is screwed]


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